The Latest: Week of January16, 2026

The Latest is a roundup of the comings and goings of the movers and shakers in NH's business community

MEDIA

NH Public Radio (NHPR) has entered a sales partnership with podcast agency The Podglomerate, which will serve as the exclusive sales partner for podcasts produced by NHPR, leveraging its extensive industry expertise to maximize revenue for its shows. In addition to The Podglomerate’s staff, NHPR will gain access to the firm’s ad tech stack, programmatic marketplaces, data management systems and more.

NONPROFITS

The New Hampshire Boat Museum (NHBM) has received a $2,234 mini-grant from Volunteer NH. The grant will fund the Bloomerang Volunteer Engagement Platform, creating NHBM’s first centralized digital system for recruiting, scheduling, tracking and communicating with volunteers.

The system will maintain accurate volunteer records, ensure consistent onboarding workflows including training requirements and improve reporting for grant compliance and impact evaluation.

Paul Lavertu has been appointed chief information officer for Easterseals NH & VT, leading all information technology functions for the organization including its IT strategy, technology road map and digital transformation efforts to support essential services provided across both states. He most recently served as VP of participant services at Fidelity Investments.

Meredith Village Savings Bank (MVSB) has purchased $5,000 tax credits from the NH Community Development Finance Authority to expand economic and educational opportunities for artists through the New Hampshire Art Association (NHAA). Funds from the tax credit program will help the organization build capacity to design and implement two new pilot initiatives — the Rural Artist Carrier Service and the Artist Professional Development Program — to expand access to supports and programming for artists in rural communities.

New Generation, the Catholic Charities NH program that provides paths to stable housing and self-sufficiency for New Hampshire mothers and children experiencing homelessness, was awarded a $30,000 matching grant from the Raskob Foundation for Catholic Activities. Through this grant, gifts made to New Generation through April 30, 2026, will be matched, up to $30,000. For every $2 donated to New Generation, the Raskob Foundation will contribute $1 to support families in crisis, extending the impact of every individual gift.

The New Hampshire Heritage Museum Trail has welcomed back the Belknap Mill as a member institution, as the historic site prepares to expand its programming and partnerships in 2026. The Belknap Mill is an educational and cultural hub, connecting New Hampshire’s industrial past to contemporary issues through partnerships with organizations like the League of NH Craftsmen, Laconia Historical and Museum Society, and the Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative.

Crotched Mountain Foundation was one of 241 organizations selected to receive a “Two For The Trails” grant from Athletic Brewing Company in 2025. The $10,000 grant will be used to improve and maintain the Crotched Mountain Accessible Trails in Greenfield, NH, the largest mountain-based accessible trail system in the country.

The Nash Casino presented a combined $1.3 million in contributions to eight New Hampshire nonprofit organizations in late December, accumulated from revenues generated by games of chance, historical horse racing machines and newly launched video lottery terminals during the month of November. December recipients were: Helping Our Pupils Excel NH, Hudson Lions Club, Danville Lions Club, Peter Lino Barili Memorial Scholarship, Lions Youth Development of NH, Nashua Police Patrolman’s Charities, American Legion Post #48 Hudson and St. Gianna’s Place.

Monadnock Peer Support (MPS) has received an $8,000 end-of-year gift from Badger, in Gilsum, to support the launch of a pilot youth peer support program in the Monadnock Region. The funding will help MPS expand its peerled mental health model to young people, addressing a growing need for accessible, non-clinical support spaces for youth experiencing mental health challenges.

White Horse Recovery has been awarded a $35,000 grant from the Kendal C. and Anna Ham Charitable Foundation to purchase a 7-seat 2025 Kia Sorento as a dedicated transportation vehicle for its North Conway location. The Foundation focuses on supporting the Mt. Washington Valley of New Hampshire, and Bridgton and Fryeburg, Maine, communities in areas of human services, environment and community development.

Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston (FHL-Bank Boston) awarded $47 million in grants, loans, and interest-rate subsidies through its Affordable Housing Program to support 49 affordable housing initiatives in New England and beyond. These projects will create or preserve 1,532 rental and homeownership units for individuals and families earning up to 80% of the area median income. As part of this funding round, New Hampshire received nearly $379,000 to fund six housing units for veterans in Kingston.

In honor of Brien L. Ward’s lifelong commitment to the Littleton community, the Ward family has raised more than $20,000 to benefit Remich Park on improvements to the town pool and other youth recreation projects. In addition, the Ward family has established the Brien L. Ward Littleton Foundation, dedicated to providing scholarships for Littleton High School students pursuing skilled trades programs, technical certifications and four-year college degrees.

New Hampshire Housing’s board of directors approved awards of $4.84 million in 2026 Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) to help develop and preserve affordable rental housing across the state — administered in conjunction with the state Affordable Housing Fund and other forms of capital subsidy. This year, New Hampshire Housing received nine applications requesting a total of approximately $6.99 million in 9% LIHTCs and $12.57 million in capital subsidy.

HEALTH CARE

BGO, a global real estate investment management firm, has acquired Lahey Medical Center, a newly built Class A medical outpatient facility located at 20 Woodmont Avenue in Londonderry, NH. The two-story, 30,000-square-foot clinical building was completed in 2025 as a purpose-built facility for Beth Israel Lahey Health to house its oncology, infusion, cardiology, gastroenterology and neurology services.

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover was awarded $10,000 in tax credits from the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority via Meredith Village Savings Bank to support the construction of a new operating room in its Women and Children’s Center.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Claremont Savings Bank (CSB) recently welcomed Joe Kenney as executive vice president, chief lending officer, and will be a key member of CSB’s Executive Management Team. He most recently served as chief lending officer and executive vice president at BankProv.

Claremont Savings Bank (CSB) announced the retirement of Carol Vivian after 40 years at the Bank. She began at CSB in 1985 as a teller and spent the next 40 years working her way to executive vice president, chief customer experience officer. She has been the head of both retail and business lending, human resources and retail banking, which oversaw all retail branches, customer service, customer care, and consumer lending in addition to loan operations and deposit operations.

Charlie Dowd will retire from Meredith Village Savings Bank (MVSB) at the end of this year, concluding a 24-year career in the banking industry. He initially joined MVSB in 2021 as vice president, residential mortgage sales, and has since helped expand the Bank’s mortgage lending team and strengthen its reputation as a top choice for homebuyers across New Hampshire.

Community Bank, a subsidiary of Community Financial System, Inc. (CFSI), announced Matt Durkee has been appointed chief banking officer, succeeding Jeff Levy, who retired at the end of the year. In this role, he will work across the Bank’s entire footprint, including Upstate New York, Northeastern Pennsylvania, Vermont, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Holy Rosary Credit Union (HRCU) has promoted Travis Bissonnette to chief lending officer, recognizing his leadership, strategic impact and longstanding commitment to the credit union and its members. He initially joined HRCU over a decade ago as consumer lending manager before moving through other roles in the credit union.

ENGINEERING

Civilworks New England, a civil engineering firm headquartered in Dover, NH, has announced an alliance with Civil Consultants, a firm based in South Berwick, Maine, bringing together teams to collaborate on all site/civil and waterfront development, structural design, land surveying, municipal infrastructure, and permitting services. By uniting their combined resources, the newly expanded partnership will offer enhanced capabilities and a broader range of services to clients across New Hampshire, Maine and the greater New England region.

McFarland-Johnson, Inc. (MJ) — a 100% employee-owned planning, engineering, technology, environmental and construction services firm with two offices in NH — recently welcomed David W. Rich, P.E., to the firm as aviation design manager based in its Concord, NH, office. In addition, MJ announced four promotions in its Aviation Division: Matthew O’Brien, P.E., promoted to aviation design manager for projects across New England, from Maine to Connecticut; Brady Brewster promoted to national aviation planning lead at the Hollywood, Florida, location; Amanda Sheridan, P.E., promoted to aviation design lead at the firm’s Greenville, South Carolina, office; and Santiago (Rocky) Navarro promoted to regional planning manager in the Buffalo, New York office.

Turner Group has announced that Paige Wilber, PE, senior associate and structural engineering co-manager, has been elected to the firm’s board of directors by its stockholders. She has been with Turner Group for eight years and is responsible for managing a wide range of structural engineering efforts, including design, assessment, and dam safety and rehabilitation projects.

LAW

The law firm of McLane Middleton has elected new directors of the firm: Viggo C. Fish, director in the firm’s Administrative Law Department; Christina L. Krakoff, a member of the firm’s Trusts and Estates Department; and Gena Lavallee, a member of the firm’s Corporate Department.

Exempt law attorney and New London resident Josh Sattely has formally launched My Nonprofit Attorney PLLC to provide practical and affordable legal services to nonprofits in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The firm works with nonprofits on non-litigation matters and brings vast expertise in fiscal sponsorship and big transitions.

REAL ESTATE

Portside Real Estate Group recently welcomed Aaron Rouse to its Portsmouth, NH, office as an associate broker dual-licensed in Maine and New Hampshire. Before transitioning into sales, Rouse started his career as a mortgage loan officer and underwriter at his family’s mortgage brokerage firm.

Kent White and Caitlin Burke of The Boulos Company have successfully completed the sale of the commercial property located at 259 Route 108 in Somersworth. The sale was completed earlier this month, with the property transferring to Labelle Herman Real Estate Holdings, LLC for $1,050,000. Lawa-Na McClellan from Keller Williams Coast and Lake Realty represented the buyer.

MANUFACTURING

Can-One USA, a Nashua-based manufacturer of aluminum beverage cans, has promoted Nicholas Hanna as head of creative and branding. Prior to Can-One USA, Hanna was an account manager at a Manchester-based marketing firm and worked as a UX designer for a local software startup.

AUTOMOTIVE

Kim Stevenson, instructor and coordinator of the Toyota-Technician Education Network (T-TEN) automotive program at Lakes Region Community College (LRCC), was recently recognized as the Post-Secondary Instructor of the Year at the New Hampshire Auto Dealers Association 2025 Scholarship and Industry Night. Stevenson developed a program that donates retired State Police engines and car parts to high school automotive programs across the state. She also joined a statewide high school tour to promote and celebrate automotive career opportunities throughout New Hampshire and has hosted Girls Inc. at LRCC to give young women an inside look at careers in the automotive industry.

UTILITIES

For the seventh consecutive year, Eversource Energy has again been recognized by Newsweek and Statista Inc. among America’s Most Responsible Companies for 2026. This national award celebrates U.S. companies that demonstrate a commitment to corporate social responsibility and reflects Eversource’s continued achievements in advancing sustainability throughout its business operations.

HOSPITALITY

Deja Brew Café recently celebrated its grand opening at 224 North Broadway, B2, in Salem, NH. Owned and run by Noureddine Machkour and his family, the café serves coffee beverages and baked treats featuring premium ingredients.

Hotel Indigo North Conway, a modern boutique hotel featuring 70 luxury guestrooms and suites, is now open in North Conway. The facility features a restaurant and bar, mini-spa, meeting space, fitness center, and indoor heated pool. Prestige Hospitality Group has been named to manage the property, with Jason Skinner leading as the general manager.

Gwen Pier awarded ’26 Saint-Gaudens Medal

Saint-Gaudens Memorial in Cornish, NH, has announced that Gwen Pier, executive director of the National Sculpture Society (NSS), is the recipient of the 2026 Saint-Gaudens Medal, which is given to individuals whose talents, vision and leadership have made significant contributions to the arts. Serving NSS in her role for 38 years, Pier expanded NSS’ endowment from $200,000 to more than $15 million, enabling the expansion of national exhibitions, publications, conferences and artist support programs. She has overseen awards, scholarships, residencies and juried exhibitions that have directly benefited generations of sculptors. Pier also serves in roles with the Fine Arts Federation of New York, the Saltus Awards committee for lifetime achievement in medallic art, the Broadway Mall Association’s Public Art Advisory Group, and the Council of Advisors for the Women’s Suffrage National Monument in Washington, D.C.

Please send items for possible publication in The Latest to AANDREWS@NHBR.COM Include a color photo if available.